Print

Best Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Easy Streusel

best pumpkin cream cheese muffins with streusel topping - featured image
Print Recipe

These pumpkin cream cheese muffins feature a spiced pumpkin base, a creamy honey-sweetened cream cheese center, and a buttery streusel topping with a hint of cardamom. They’re quick to make, perfect for fall gatherings, and taste like a bakery find.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup milk (whole milk preferred)
  • 6 oz cream cheese, softened (full-fat)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup rolled oats (old-fashioned)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line your muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. Make the cream cheese filling first. In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with honey and vanilla extract until smooth using a hand mixer for about 2 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt.
  4. Combine the wet ingredients. In a larger bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth and well combined.
  5. Fold in the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Make the streusel topping. In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, cinnamon, and cardamom. Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces.
  7. Assemble the muffins. Fill each muffin cup about halfway with batter. Drop a generous tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the center of each. Top with the remaining batter, covering the cream cheese completely. The cups should be about ¾ full.
  8. Add the streusel. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over each muffin. Press it down lightly so it sticks to the batter.
  9. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the muffin part (not the cream cheese center) comes out clean and the tops are golden brown.
  10. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients are important for best results. Do not overfill muffin cups; keep them ¾ full to prevent cream cheese from leaking. For extra-crispy streusel, after baking, turn off the oven and leave muffins inside for 2-3 minutes with the door slightly ajar. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese muffins, streusel topping, fall baking, pumpkin cream cheese muffins

Find it online: https://milaspoon.com/best-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-with-easy-streusel/